When we were first speaking and recommending our document cameras to artists for streaming and/or documenting their creation process, we were met with many questions and doubts. Some of them include:
Regardless, we put forth our best effort to answer them in as simple words as possible.

Document camera? What’s that? I’ve never heard of it.

Basically, a document camera works like a webcam, but it offers much more in terms of functionality and versatility. For example, all IPEVO document cameras feature swiveling camera head that not only allows you to point it at your face for video conferencing but also at your documents/materials for large screen projection.

So what can a document camera do? How can it help with my work?

It’s going to change your life, and we’re not kidding! Our document cameras, when used with our Visualizer software, allow you to do a whole lot of things such as live streaming, take snapshots, record normal/slow motion/time-lapse/stop motion videos, and even scan documents.

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My smartphone serves me well. I can just use it as a document camera.

While you can use your smartphone as a document camera, there are obvious benefits of using IPEVO document cameras. First, they free up your hands allowing you to fully concentrate on your work. Also, with their swiveling camera heads and multi-jointed stands, you can capture from different height, angle, or orientation, giving you multiple views.

I am not tech-savvy. That thing is too complicated for me to use.

Our document cameras are designed to be plug and play, meaning you don’t need to be tech-savvy in order to use them.

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My desk has been filled with all sorts of tools, I don’t think there is enough space for a document camera.

No worries. IPEVO document cameras can fit in any tight space as they have small footprint. In fact, here’s a cool video we’ve made to highlight this:

Well… Thanks for the explanation, but I don’t have the budget to get one.

As compared to other brands on the market, our document cameras are priced affordably, meaning you don’t need to pay a hefty price tag for them. And we offer a range of document cameras — from the entry USB model V4K to the HDMI/USB dual mode VZ-R, and to the wireless option VZ-X — you’re sure to find one that best fits your needs and budget!

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While we can go on and on in answering those questions, it is always better to show than to tell. Hence, when we get to know that a Taiwanese nail artist has been using our VZ-R document camera for her work (courtesy of our colleagues from the Taiwan office), we are thrilled to learn more!

As a nail artist Mamie needs to work with different types of tools, ranging from LED nail lamp and nail studs to art brushes and dotting tool sets. And not forgetting to mention, bottles and bottles of nail polishes. So more often than not, this leaves her desk with little or no space for anything else. Yet this doesn’t deter her from using VZ-R as with its vertical design and small footprint, VZ-R doesn’t take up much space when she is using it! And when she’s done, she can just fold it up and tuck it away.

A small space is what VZ-R needs.

To use VZ-R, Mamie connects it to her laptop via USB, turn it on, launch the free Visualizer software, point it at her customers’ nails, and voila, the live images instantly appear on her computer screen! Then, Mamie uses it to stream the nail painting process live to her customers, explaining her designs as they go along. And when she needs to zoom in, rotate or make some image adjustments, she’ll use the tactile control buttons placed on VZ-R’s body to do so. According to Mamie the use of VZ-R has thus far been well-received as being able to visualize the nail painting process in an entirely new way makes her customers feel way more engaged than before.

Mamie explaining her design to her customer.

Besides showing the process live to her customers, Mamie also uses VZ-R to stream her creation process online, record demonstration videos, and give live workshops. VZ-R’s multi-jointed design and swiveling camera head enable Mamie to stream or record from different height, angle and orientation. This gives her the flexibility to put the focus right where she wants while maintaining high image clarity. Her viewers can, in turn, clearly see and learn the techniques involved.
In addition, the HDMI mode of VZ-R proves to be extremely handy to Mamie as it allows her to connect directly to a projector or flat screen TV that is available at her respective workshop venues. Meaning, she gets to leave her bulky laptop at home!

Skip the need for a computer and connect directly to a projector or TV using VZ-R’s HDMI mode.

As seen in Mamie’s example, we believe the versatility, functionality and portability of IPEVO document cameras not only make them a prized asset for nail artists but also artists of all fields! Are you an artist too? Do grab one of our document cameras and give it a try!

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Some of IPEVO VZ-R document camera’s most-liked features include portability, lightweight, and small footprint. Yet, they may also become double-edged swords that make VZ-R an easy target for theft. Leaving it unattended overnight in a classroom may not be the safest thing to do, and this is why one of our customers, Mark from the University of Birmingham, approached a security company — Core-Security — to tailor-make a security device for VZ-R. As Mark shares with us, this unique device comes with a security cable and lock that enables the user to safely secure his/her VZ-R, therefore deterring any possible theft. So, if you are looking for a security device for your VZ-R, you may want to give it a try. And who knows, you may be saving yourself from some unpleasant surprises!

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Are you a vinyl collector looking for ways to digitize your vinyl covers so that you can keep a digital catalog of them, or simply, share their “vintageness” with other collectors? A conventional scanner would be the obvious chance if not for the fact that very few of them have large enough scanner bed to fit a 12” album cover. A DSLR camera or smartphone might be the next choice, however it would require some additional equipment like a tripod or a camera stand. And you’ll need a space big enough to accommodate these setups. Here’s where you’ll find IPEVO VZ-R HDMI/USB Dual Mode Document Camera as a surprisingly effective alternative.

VZ-R, with its small footprint, tall build, multi-jointed stand, swiveling camera head, and high resolution (8MP camera), is the ideal tool for capturing vinyl covers. So let’s take a look at how this little tool makes capturing and digitizing vinyl covers a breeze.

Setting up and capturing:
1. Download Visualizer software onto your laptop. You can download it from https://www.ipevo.com/software/download/visualizer.
2. Connect VZ-R to your laptop via the included USB cable.
3. Place a vinyl cover under VZ-R.
4. Grab a lamp and place it by the side of the vinyl cover.
5. Turn VZ-R on. Launch Visualizer. The image of the vinyl cover should appear on your laptop screen.
6. Adjust the position, height and angle of VZ-R to ensure you have the whole vinyl cover in view. VZ-R’s multi-jointed stand and swiveling head make these adjustments easy.
7. Switch on the lamp. Look at the image on your screen. Adjust the position of the lamp so that you get an even lighting on the image.
8. Adjust parameters such as resolution, focus, brightness, exposure or more in Visualizer to fine-tune the image.
9. Choose “Scan Document” in Visualizer. Set the preferred aspect ratio and file format for capturing the vinyl cover.

And voila! You’re ready to digitize your vinyl covers.

Here’s a video for your reference:

So grab an IPEVO VZ-R document camera, try it out, and let us know how it works for you.

We have had teachers jokingly telling us how often they have to go for manicures to get their nails groomed if they are using IPEVO document cameras to teach. The reason being? They don’t want to scare their students with high clarity onscreen images of their cracked nails! Although this (using document cameras to show images of nails) could be an interesting setting, it didn’t register in our minds until our colleagues from the Taiwan office shared with us an example of how a Taiwanese nail artist uses our document camera to show and capture her nail painting process.

Tucked away in a corner of Mamie’s work desk is the small, versatile, and simple to use VZ-R HDMI/USB Dual Mode Document Camera. The small footprint and plug and play design of VZ-R allow Mamie to keep it by the side of her work desk when she doesn’t need it, and get it set up within minutes when she needs it — all without occupying too much of her desk space or getting in her way.

VZ-R’s small footprint allows it to be set up in any tight space.

To complete the set up, Mamie had VZ-R connected to a laptop via the included USB cable. Using the free IPEVO Visualizer software, she then show the nail painting process live to her customers on the laptop screen. Sometimes, she would even zoom in on her customers’ nails for a larger view. And the feedback have been largely positive — with the high image quality from VZ-R’s 8 megapixel camera both Mamie and her customers can literally visualize the entire process in a whole new way, enabling Mamie to review her designs instantly while allowing her customers to follow along. This makes her customers feel much more engaged.

Viewing the nail painting process on the laptop screen.

As a nail artist, Mamie also uses VZ-R to live stream her nail painting process online, and/or record demonstration videos. VZ-R’s multi-jointed stand and swiveling camera head come in really handy for this purpose. She can adjust VZ-R’s stand and camera head for streaming and recording from different heights, angles and orientations, providing her audience with a “holistic” view of the process.

Record from different heights, angles and orientations with VZ-R.

VZ-R’s versatility doesn’t end here. With tactile control buttons conveniently placed on its body, Mamie can adjust image settings such as rotation, exposure, zoom and others on the fly, without going back and forth to the laptop. What’s more, VZ-R’s HDMI output option gives Mamie the extra flexibility to connect it directly to a projector or TV via an HDMI cable for large screen projection. Meaning, she doesn’t need to bring her laptop along when she is traveling around to give live workshops!

Are you a nail artist using our document camera too? We’d love to know more!

Besides being used by educators as teaching buddies, recently we have seen an increasing trend where IPEVO doc cams are being used by artists as their art buddies, primarily for live streaming or documenting their creation process. And we’ve received numerous positive reviews from them so far. So let’s take a look at how well IPEVO doc cams perform as art buddies.

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We know that art is a visual medium, hence, the ability to clearly capture fine details is what artists look for when they are doing live workshops/demonstrations that require them to show and project the creation process onto a large screen. Or simply, to share their art pieces on social media. This is where IPEVO’s family of 8 megapixel doc cams shines. Just as Bajo, a doll-making artist from Barcelona who uses our V4K Ultra High Definition USB Document Camera to document her creation process points out, she is getting excellent image quality:

“I was very surprised by the quality of the image and the lens (many times this type of device weakens on the lens, but this is not the case) and has very good ‘macro’ image quality. This last point for me is very important because when making dolls so small sometimes I have not been able to photograph them closely.”

A post shared by MissBajo (@missbajocollection) on Jul 26, 2018 at 12:34pm PDT

*Bajo’s review was written in Spanish. It was translated into English using Google Translate.

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In addition, when you’re giving a large screen demonstration to a group of audience, you won’t want to waste time on fiddling with your doc cam and figuring out how to use it while onstage. This is where IPEVO doc cams’ plug and play, simple to use design come in really helpful. As Sanjana, an artist from New Zealand who uses our VZ-R HDMI/USB Dual Mode Document Camera to live stream her demonstrations shares:

“I was skeptical at first when @ipevo_taiwan got in touch with me and sent me this webcam, but this document web camera has proven to be a great asset to my streaming setup — easy to use and the picture quality is great!”

A post shared by Sanjana’s Art (@sanjanasart) on May 25, 2018 at 5:52am PDT

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More importantly, you would want a doc cam that is small in size (so it won’t get in your way when you’re demonstrating) yet flexible enough for you to capture and display your art pieces from different heights, angles and orientations. IPEVO doc cams triumph in these areas with their small footprint, multi-jointed stand and swiveling camera head. Use them with the free IPEVO Visualizer software and you can access additional features such as snapshot, video/time-lapse/slow motion/stop motion recording or resolution/color/exposure adjustments. And if you’re using VZ-R, you can even adjust image settings on the fly via the control buttons placed on it. These are exactly the reasons why Cindy, an artist and illustrator from Australia finds VZ-R versatile and handy:

“A lot of my illustration colleagues use this camera for live workshops and demonstrations where they need to project what they’re drawing onto a large screen, wall etc. However it can also be used to record video and still photographs directly to your computer using USB & HDMI cables. I’ve used both Mac & Windows in this demo video, and have shown some of its features, changing resolution, zoom, WB etc. There are so many features, I haven’t had a chance to try them all yet, but the ratios, filters, refresh rates etc can all be altered. Such a versatile, adaptable camera, with so much more to explore!”

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By combining a microscope with IPEVO’s VZ-R or VZ-X doc cam, you can not only get a closer look of the microscopic world but also take snapshots, record videos or perform other tasks when used in conjunction with IPEVO Visualizer software. Using VZ-R as an example, check out the following video and see how you can do so:

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Abracadabra! A book club is where the magic of words brings people together. With more and more older adults now enjoying to eat, drink & merry at a book club, the introduction of technology opens the door to accessibility, as well as inspiration in creating an inviting atmosphere for everyone. Just as IPEVO document cameras are transforming classrooms into places full of fun and excitement, we invite PHP Friendship Club, a seniors book club in Taiwan to our Taiwan office to try out our brand new VZ-R HDMI/USB Dual Mode 8MP Document Camera.

A routine session kick-starts with the introduction of VZ-R document camera

Finding the sweet spot between simplicity and versatility is a real challenge. Complexity is a curve ball even for seniors who are so passionate about technology. VZ-R’s plug & play game plan plays out cleanly with a two-a-side: an HDMI cable that transfers live images to a TV, and a USB port that provides power to the device.

Powering on by a USB port, all VZ-R needs is an HDMI cable to stream live images directly to a TV

Using the control buttons located on VZ-R’s body, all it takes is a touch of fingertip to zoom in and out of the object. By zooming in, the very detailed images of books, notes and smart phone screens all show up crisp and clear on the TV thanks to VZ-R’s 8MP camera. It is exactly this outstanding clarity that makes VZ-R a great assistive reading tool. With VZ-R, low vision seniors would have no trouble viewing small prints of reading materials.

Place the reading material under VZ-R, press zoom and see the enlarged texts appearing clearly on the TV

According to Hong Chien, Ching Hui (Celia), the chairperson of Hong’s Foundation and the host of the book club, the concept of collaborative learning comes from the joy of sharing. Thus, instead of plunging straight into a book discussion, this time round members of the PHP Friendship Club decide to run the session by getting everyone to share a personal item. In no time, books, notes, yoga illustrations and images of flowers all “spring to life” on the TV.

Members of the PHP Friendship Club get their turns to share their personal items using VZ-R

With VZ-R, members get to share their personal anecdotes through the “visualization” of sentimental value of the objects. Apart from allowing the sharing session to quickly rotate through each member’s area of interest, VZ-R brings the bits and pieces into a larger context at the front screen: the colorful everyday life of the seniors.

Whether it is a smartphone or a tablet, VZ-R is capable of showing and enlarging the small images on the digital screen to the TV for all to see

Book clubs are great social forums that encourage seniors to stay active in everyday living. VZ-R transforms the conventional verbal based book discussion into a visual experience. Apart from being an assistive reading tool, VZ-R’s capability of enlarging all kinds of objects opens up a wider selection of learning materials. Just as Rene Descartes once hinted: “the reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” Through the eye of VZ-R, this reading was not only made visible, but also collaborative.

Great smiles! Members of PHP Friendship Club posed for the camera with VZ-R after their session

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New to VZ-R and still trying to figure out ways of utilizing it in the HDMI mode? Now read on for three handy tips that we’ve gathered from the VZ-R experts at IPEVO!

Tip #1: Present A3 documents (11.7”x16.5”)

When VZ-R is connected to a TV or projector via HDMI, the output display would most likely be in the aspect ratio of 16:9. To present A3 documents, press the Zoom Out button when the live image is unzoomed, and congrats! You’ve successfully unlocked the 4:3 aspect ratio displaying mode for showing A3 documents. In this ratio mode, any A3 document will fit perfectly on your screen.

Tip #2: Use AutoFocus-Single (AF-S) for static subjects

By default, VZ-R’s focus is set to AutoFocus-Continuous (AF-C). This changes the focus continuously which keeps the live image clear when you’re showing moving subjects. However, you might find it unnecessary if you are only showing static subjects. Have the focus locked throughout your session by pressing and holding the Focus button to change it to AF-S mode.

Tip #3: Choose from a range of video filters

VZ-R comes with built-in video filters that make it friendlier for individuals with visual impairments or low vision. And we understand that different people have different needs, that’s why VZ-R features not only one but five video filters — Inverted Color, Yellow on Black, Black & White, Inverted Black & White, and Sepia. Simply choose one that best fits your needs by pressing the Filter button and cycling through them.

We have all of the aforementioned tips highlighted in the following video, do check it out.

Do you enjoy the tips? Having any feedback or suggestions for VZ-R? Let us know!

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Introducing the latest addition to IPEVO’s family of document cameras – VZ-R HDMI/USB Dual Mode 8MP Document Camera! With VZ-R, you can stream live images directly to your TV or projector without the need for a computer via HDMI, and simply adjust the images by using the buttons conveniently placed on its body. You can also connect it to a computer via USB to take advantage of IPEVO’s free Visualizer software or other third-party software. Be surprised at what you see as VZ-R features an 8 megapixel Sony CMOS sensor and Ambarella chip that deliver incredible detail with fast focus, low noise and excellent color reproduction. A built-in LED light is also included for capturing material in dimly lit environments. And, not forgetting to mention VZ-R’s flexibility and durability – its small footprint, multi-jointed stand, swiveling head allow you to capture images from different heights, angles and orientations even in limited space, while its glass fiber reinforced stand gives you increased durability for daily use without adding extra weight. For a highlight of VZ-R’s features, do check out the following video: